Emptiness in Buddhism: Early Doctrine and Development

[@DougsDharma]

Freebie mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org!

[@benjaminben2392]

Thanks Doug Having 4 d offer of free access online course Hv 2 find time 4 that which am sure will further cocsolidate my fine tuning of yr lectures.Great Meanwhile it wld b more convenient 2 contiiue listening 2 u on youtube postings U know the thing abt buddhism or whatevet isms or religiousity ppl make of it is the buddha s message is not too far off from science.... I mean 4 e.g. like u mentioned based on yr understamdg of the buddha s definition of freewill as compatility determinism i couln t agree more.... Hey thanks again 4 the interest u promoted in us

[@adruvitpandit5816]

Doug there is a problem, the current research suggests that Upanishads came much later around 14-16 Century. Also we havent found any actual evidence of existence of Upanishads or other brahminic literature at the time of buddha. It is quite clear Sanskrit didnt exist at the time. So Buddhas description of Nothingness is an original thought to buddha and not something he was responding to.

[@emptyemptiness8372]

The perfection of wisdom sutras were what first made me accept buddhism, as well as the sutra of Hui Neng which i found inspiring at the time ,latter in life i turned to Theravada yet those sutras still have great influence on my perception or how i veiw the world and my practice ...and even my sense of humour.

[@DougsDharma]

Great! Thanks empty, I can tell by your name this is a topic that captivates you!

[@Antonio-uc7vn]

@@DougsDharma there is also shunyata concept in hindu texts

[@swaminic]

Everything arises dependent on causes, which in turn are dependent on other causes. This chain of causation can never be traced back to an independent thing. Thus nothing has a separate existence from anything else, they are completely embedded in a network of relationships that include the whole universe and all time. As a result there is no thing that can be separated out from this network, nothing has an independent existence, nothing has a “self” separate from an “other”. Nagajuna is very good in interpreting this.

[@MrCmon113]

Yes, I think the central mistake is to give heuristics and accounting tricks metaphysical or ontological character. We can treat a leopard as an agent making decisions and predict it's behavior in a computationally efficient way, but that doesn't mean that there's actually a leopard spirit floating around in the aether. Similarly we can use counterfactuals to guide our understanding and actions, but that doesn't mean that somehow things really could have been different.

[@xiaomaozen]

I first stumbled upon "emptiness" due to my engagement with Chan/Zen, and I've always understood it as the absence of a permanent self or essence. But unfortunately some (or should I say: most?) authors made and make a thing, a metaphysical entity out of "emptiness". They reify "it". So that it ultimately resembles "brahman" again. That's one reason why I came back to Early Buddhism. Thanks for this brilliant video, Doug! ❤

[@DougsDharma]

Yes it can get quite confusing. You're very welcome xiao mao! 🙏

[@patrickkeyes5916]

This is invaluable-clear, helpful, well-informed, well-explained and fair minded.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks so much Patrick. 🙏

[@ScottSee]

Nice shirt. My grandfather was in the Black Watch battalion.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks, yes it's a pretty pattern!

[@jgarciajr82]

We are not selves but we are persons 🙏❤️

[@DougsDharma]

Well, I guess that's one way to look at it! 😄

[@lorettas1171]

Good Morning, Great lecture - Very well thought out - Good talk Doug - on this specific topic, looking forward to the next - follow up, Thank You..

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Simon! 🙏

[@kierkiboy]

Your channel is full of so many insightful and clearly explained videos. You're really making a difference Doug. Thank you for all the content you're putting out into the world, it's really helping me a lot in my life.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, glad it is useful to you! 🙏

[@ariefbudiman1544]

glad that such a deep and rich topic of buddhism is presented in english.. I learnt a lot

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Arief. 🙏

[@brianreeves]

I am continually blown away by your videos, thank you Doug.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Brian! Thanks for the comment.

[@noahdanielg]

The concept of Sunyatā is very beautiful to me, and reminds me of Hinduism's Advaita. Thanks for all the videos Doug! (Our class passed the Buddhism exam with great succes, in part thanks to your explanations!)

[@DougsDharma]

Hey that's great to hear Noah! Glad they've been helpful to you. 🙏

[@Paramasaugata]

This two should not be mixed they are totally different..... Shunya and Advait vedant

[@JayaDevaMusic]

@@Paramasaugata Both concepts can be mixed, in the porridge of the mind. Both of them have many similarities, and both can dance toghether. You can change that slokah of Poornam for Shunyam easily.

[@Paramasaugata]

@@JayaDevaMusic greg-goode.com/article/from-advaita-to-emptiness/ No they aren't same, kindly read this article

[@kaustubhnigam628]

@@Paramasaugata why aren't they same ??? And why are they different ?? Bro I have many doubts , will you try to clear it for me

[@blackhunk2265]

You lectures are informative, increase knowledge and interest..

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks so much I Bhardwaj!

[@victorroux493]

Finally I get it. The law of nature is impermanence. Iam constantly changing at cellular level. Therefore I cannot point to something permanent. The conclusion then the self does not exist.

[@yifuxero5408]

Complete story of Emptiness from Nagarjuna to the modern Shentong School of Tibetan Buddhism at "Swami Sarvapriyananada - Emptiness".

[@paulthomas281]

Wonderful, accessible introduction.

[@DougsDharma]

Many thanks!

[@parkpatt]

4:10 I like the parallel between this idea of fullness and the mathematical concept of infinity 14:15 this interpretation of the middle way really resonates with me, and expands my understanding. Such a beautiful idea.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Parker. Glad you find the material useful. 🙏

[@manojsaranathan6706]

I was exactly thinking the same thing- infinity minus infinity is still infinity

[@PavaniGanga]

Clarifying and fascinating! Till today I never understood the process by which Shakyamuni's teaching eventuated in notions of Dharmakaya, Cosmic Buddhas, Pure Lands, a raft of esoteric correspondences (e.g., Dhyani Buddhas with four directions and specific colors), et cetera. OMG. The Trojan horse of Emptiness re-imagined. Dependent origination can then be correlated with the limiting and conditioning impositions of Maya Shakti by which Brahman (aka Buddha-nature) can appear as this universe. Finally, the extravagant entertainment of Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra can be placed in context. No wonder the Buddha has only to press the ground with his big toe and everything is revealed as the Pure Land. No wonder I, a "non-dual" path Shiva devotee feel my own faith confirmed by characteristic attitudes and practical recommendations of the Chinese Huayan-Chan-Pure Land symbiosis. I'm an old lady now. But even if I had my life to live over, I could never find anything more interesting than the family of ideas/visions that emerged from India.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, it all does merge together, depending on how it's interpreted.

[@sidstovell2177]

...attainment too is emptiness'. Thank you, Doug.

[@DougsDharma]

You’re very welcome Sid! 🙏

[@philmcdonald6088]

thank you for your clear and skillful teachings. rest in present awareness be still close eyes listen to your breathing".

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@benjaminben2392]

Thnanks Doug Besides clarity n earnst 2 honest unbiased Understandg of an honest 2 gdness being We can feel the genleness n steadfsatness in all yr convictions Tq again

[@DougsDharma]

🙏🙂

[@chinkayeok6117]

Profound wisdom / Prajna Paramita sutras brought me here. Recite it like this 'Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi suvha' You may want to visit Bob Harris teaching on this sutra.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks!

[@BrennosNetwork]

Great synthesis, thank you. Been working on those distinctions for a while

[@DougsDharma]

Cool, my pleasure Les Druides!

[@arun.kahaduwaarachchi]

Thank you for enlightening us with such great topics.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Arun! 🙏

[@dolkarlhamo9522]

As bhuddism generally focused as our mind is everything... If we can control mind, we can achieve everything.. so if you can explain on this point then we would be very happy

[@toohdvaetihom7088]

You present both Buddhist and Hindu ideas very neutrally and without any bias. I like that.

[@DougsDharma]

I try my best to be as neutral as I can given the evidence. 🙏

[@kms5750]

Hindu religion never have teach sunyata. Stop your proboganda What is sunyata do you know

[@wladddkn1517]

@@kms5750 Siva is Sunyata

[@nextgen8904]

@@wladddkn1517 no shiva is black hall

[@nextgen8904]

@@wladddkn1517 no shiva is dark matter

[@perfectsims]

Thank you Doug!!

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure!

[@cecehurst3509]

Thanks, helping me think deeper for my eastern philosophy paper. Since I’m missing out on in person discussion that I really need for philosophies. Corona sucks

[@DougsDharma]

Yes it’s too bad but I’m happy to help out! 🙂

[@cecehurst3509]

Doug's Dharma do you have any insight on the perfection of wisdom tradition and how it relates to Buddha’s basic teachings?

[@handynas6529]

I heard from a Chinese venerable that Emptiness is none other then 2 of the 3 marks of existence - that of change and non-self...I believe this then allures to the 3rd mark - that which is subject to change and is not-self is thus unsatisfactory...

[@DougsDharma]

That's certainly a reasonable way to understand it handy nas, thanks!

[@samo4003]

I once asked my guru, which is more fundamental, emptiness or dependent origination. He answered emptiness which confirmed what I have been thinking for a while. My view is that from emptiness arises dependent origination which creates and is the reality in the realm in which everything is relative, and where time is beginless and endless and so too is space. In parallel to the realm of the relative or the realm of phenomena, there is another realm/dimension as mentioned by the Buddha in Udana 8 and there is an intimate connection between these two realms which I see as being two sides of the same coin.

[@Alexlinnk]

Thank you, invaluable information

[@DougsDharma]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kms5750]

Suneyata is really interesting 👌 very important teaching

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I agree!

[@briansprock2248]

Hi Dough,.... permenance or impermanance are the same coin. Just like science saying change is the only constant. The non-dual philosophy. Indeed, the skillful application of internal dialogue to further and go deeper into stillness/emptiness. Emptiness or fullness, is the same story of when the Buddha was sked if there is or isn't a God when he knew to give what answer seeing clearly why they asked that particular question. This is why I liked the books of other traditions and even those of Castañeda For me there is really no one there, but I'm not in a constant state of absorption to realy intensly iron out the wrinkles so as to go beyond the threshold. I would think right understanding is to have the right insight to build up to go beyond, which is much like priming and focussing the mind to go inyñto a controlled letting go. Our minds given the right space will solve itself much like creeping slime mold does find the most effective way through a maze. There is no one at the wheel, but still being the silent observer at the same time.

[@MountainDharma]

Hi Doug, what do you make of the Buddha’s declaration to Mogharaja? “Be ever mindful Mogha Raja, see the world as empty, and abandon thoughts of self”

[@DougsDharma]

I would have to know the context to be sure, but it sounds like a declaration of anatta.

[@EFerri]

Thank you so much for this!

[@DougsDharma]

You're so welcome!

[@marcosdaniel7492]

Thanks so much for this video! Great info.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Marcos! Glad you found it interesting.

[@perfectsims]

Love you Doug!! And your channel…….💜💜💜💜💜💜💜…….Liked and Subscribed.☝️

[@DougsDharma]

Awesome! Thank you and welcome aboard! 😊

[@georgeice4389]

Hint to grasp emptiness:: look to the present reality with the memory of past reality.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, thanks George. That's a good way to highlight change.

[@JayaDevaMusic]

Beautiful

[@sonamtshering194]

Emptiness just affirms the interdependence of all phenomena

[@chengatang4]

very clear and concise explanation, thank you so much!

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome chengatang4! Thanks for the comment.

[@lotusblossom108]

Gandharan canon also is part of this, pointing at alternate early-material texts.

[@DougsDharma]

The Gandharan canon includes some material from the early texts as well as some later material. Exciting stuff.

[@andreyacates4424]

Have you ever considered making guided meditations? Your voice is very calming

[@DougsDharma]

It's something I've considered; I might do so eventually, we'll see! 🙂

[@andreyacates4424]

@@DougsDharma I'd be the first listener 😊

[@commonsensenowplease408]

Awesome video. Thank you sir!

[@DougsDharma]

You’re very welcome CommonSenseNow!

[@corpuscallosum418]

Thank you very much for your videos, they are really helpful and orientational. Looking forward for the video on emptiness meditation. :)

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Corpus Callosum, the early practice video will be out next week. 🙂

[@Tusmylon]

Hi Doug! Great content:) Just want to comment that the there are also parts of the Pali suttas that were not present in Chinese agama (meaning that it might have been written down later) and vice versa. This would also means that the Pali Canon isn't necessarily the 'most original' version of Buddhavacana, it is simply the only complete surviving text written in its original language of writing. Unfortunately, because the Chinese agama was composed from at least 4 different early Buddhist schools, it is quite difficult to ascertain which parts can truly be considered the original. For example the turning the wheel of dhamma sutta was written in a rather different manner in the Sarvastivada version (yet the way it was written in the sarvastivada version makes more sense chronologically if put alongside another Pali sutta which describes the same event)

[@DougsDharma]

The comparative study of the Āgamas and Pāli Nikāyas is still somewhat in its infancy. Bhikkhu Anālayo has done a lot of work on that front, and I'm always learning from his studies.

[@Tusmylon]

@@DougsDharma Yes! Bhikkhu Sujato also did some great work in this area. His book on 'history of mindfulness' was very insightful, although can feel quite condensed.

[@DougsDharma]

@@Tusmylon Yes, I did a video dealing with Bhante Sujato's book awhile back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn7Xk4mFgJlgaZI

[@Magnulus76]

It all comes down to the limitations of language, as in practice, both systems (Advaita and Buddhism) are nondualist. The real differences are political. Atman and Brahman were concepts that were part of the Brahminical system, which was believed to be a divinely revealed system. Buddha never claimed his religion was divinely revealed, on the contrary. So he's emphasizing the interdependence of phenomena or dharmas, rather than their origins in some kind of divinely revealed order.

[@RAHIMKHAN-bc9kk]

You made a good point.

[@nordmende73]

Thank you!

[@sherelak]

Thank you so much ... !

[@DougsDharma]

You are welcome!

[@victorroux493]

Wow great explanations

[@manufacturedreality8706]

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~Lao-Tzu.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, and it's also important to become aware of what is most skillful.

[@SHurd-rc2go]

'Not even wisdom to attain Attainment too is emptiness' Still trying. Thanks, Doug.

[@DougsDharma]

Indeed it is! Thanks S. Hurd. 🙏

[@eladsinger9215]

Hi Dr. Dharma---would you say that idappaccayata is the "god" of the religion of Buddhism? Bhuddadasa, the Thai forest monk said as much in his writing at Suan Mokkh. I was trying to find more info on that concept. Thanks....

[@DougsDharma]

That’s the concept of conditionality, as in dependent origination. I wouldn’t say it’s anything much like a “god” though.

[@eladsinger9215]

I listed the link where you can see Bhuddadasa's book. He explicitly refers to the law of dependent origination as a 'god' that 'creates' everything in the Universe. @@DougsDharma

[@emilromanoagramonte9190]

I Wonder if you could provide the original Hindu teaching of the vedic literatura about fullness,that you quote as the source of the Buddha's teaching? Thank you!

[@DougsDharma]

Well it wouldn't have been Hindu at that time, it predates modern Hinduism. Instead it's from the early Upaniṣads. Essentially it's talking about the unity of the self (ātman) with the universal principle of Brahman.

[@emilromanoagramonte9190]

@@DougsDharma Thank you, indeep not Hindu... but part of a tradition that May have more importance than we realized... From emptyness, fullness arrive, the moment we wake from it and see the totality without focusing in the specific. Zero turn into one, and from these, two naturally arrive... I am curious how the ancient sages saw it... zero and one, give us the original diad, from were the World of Brahma appear and it continúe the creative process that is the work of zero... Following the Buddha these give us the poétical manifestation of reality... alaya and samsara... OR so it can be seen that way... Sorry, I forgot to take the medicine... Deep Gassho!

[@ryandigiovanni2724]

Can you please do a video about the dalai lama and his supposed reincarnation and chinas political exploitation of his leadership to unite tibet. How do we feel about the tradition of finding a new dalai lama in tibetan buddhism? Thank you in advance

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for the suggestion Ryan. It's a very sad issue. My practice is secular, so I view things like the claimed reincarnations of important people to be more about sociopolitics than anything.

[@mingyaowu7720]

I don't know how to explain this "nothingness " or "emptiness". It does not mean really empty. It takes many years and with many ups and downs in life for me to understand this. Even now not fully understand to full content. But, back then if you tell me "emptiness" I would be scare. Cause thought really empty. Very hard to explain in words what this means. As life goes on. I slowly feel this "emptiness" very useful in our daily lives. It helps me let go and be relieved in many things. Well as a simple human life myself. Yes I might not reach that so called spiritual awakening. But, as life goes on you start to realise many things are not permanent and at times you need to let go. At times just a simple of sitting down in a corner drinking that coffee or tea unwind to me also considering a simple mediation or I call the let go or empty negative thoughts moments.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes exactly so. It's good to see it in the frame of practice like that. 🙏

[@blackhunk2265]

What types of. Questions I list about study effect of post vipassana (meditation) regular practice. How vipassana impact on Vipassana practioners' individuals behavior and social relationship ?

[@blackhunk2265]

Doing sir, I am seriously on need of preparing questionnaire for my responends who are practicing vipassana . I am a PhD student .

[@konstantinNeo]

The "fullness" is the property on onenenes or wholenes, something that is undivided.

[@Tom-sd9jb]

The understanding I get from other sources is that "emptiness" is a bit of a misunderstanding, where the word interconnected/interdependent in a web is possibly more appropriate if you're looking for one word. So the idea of a chariot - it is not a chariot, in itself but only a chariot because of its constituents and it's use. It is not a chariot but it is the wheels, and everything that went into making it. It is not a chariot but the wood that and metal that went into making it's planks. The horses, the grain they eat. It is the people that were needed to chop the wood and craft it. It is the food that fed those people, the rain that watered those crops, the instects that pollinated them, the dead matter that provided nutrients and so on and so forth until you get to... I don't know... Everything and nothing. We are empty because without everything else we wouldn't exist. We are only the sum of all of our parts. What do you think of this interpretation on "Emptiness"? Alas, for the curse of thoughts lost in translation.

[@DougsDharma]

Well the word "suññatā" does mean "emptiness," and the practices used in (for example) the shorter discourse on emptiness are about lack of things rather than (say) about interconnection or interdependence. See my video at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOrlKSLo7x1osU . The notion that "emptiness" connoted interconnection and interdependence appears to be a later teaching, as expressed for instance in the metaphor of Indra's Net. I have a video on that as well, and on the Buddhist notion of interdependence: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYKxaKaMosieqdE .

[@oliverbravo1321]

Hi Doug, it's Oliver from Barcelona. I've been reading the early texts and watching your videos, and there seems to be a contradiction (or rather a misunderstanding of mine) that I'd be greatful if you could elaborate on. In previous videos of yours you've understood (maybe wrongly) that the formless attainments are not conducive to enlightenment, and that is the reason why the form jhanas are higlighted rather than the formless attainments. However, from my understanding of the topic, and you actually mentioned it in this particular video, the formless attainments are indeed conducive to enlightenment by realising their impermanence and dependence upon form (perception, bodily organs that allow perception, etc). So, with this understanding, both form and formless jhanas are equally leading to awakening. On the other hand, this would also make sense if we had a look at the three realms of existance, as this understading makes it possible to attain enlightenment through the three realms (in Mara's realm by becoming enlightened within this current lifetime of ours, in the jhanas' realm by fully attaining the 4th jhana, and in the formless attainments' realm by understanding the impermanence of the very last attainment upon reaching it). Following this reasoning, there won't be any need of moving from the formless attainments' realm to the jhanas' or Mara's realm to attain enlightenment in future lifetimes. I wonder what you make of all this. I'm deeply grateful for these videos of yours. May your generosity and wisdom bear fruit. With deep love and respect, Oliver Myôsen

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks so much Oliver. It's a bit of a conundrum in early Buddhism how to approach these states of deep samādhi. On the one hand, in his own search for enlightenment the Buddha-to-be left behind the formless attainments as essentially unedifying, as not leading to nibbāna. On the other hand, there are suttas from later on in the Buddha's life when he or others state pretty clearly that any deep state of samādhi can lead to nibbāna if understood and investigated wisely enough. It might be worth my making a video on this conundrum eventually, so I'll write it on the list. I'll be doing some upcoming videos on these sorts of states, so I may add it. 🙏

[@oliverbravo1321]

@@DougsDharma Thank you so much for your answer. I'm looking forward to your next videos 🙏🏼

[@mapetlv]

was the video on topic of jhanas made?@@DougsDharma

[@DougsDharma]

There is this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emq1mIeHhdN6aqM

[@camillamoen7530]

For me it’s difficult to differentiate emptiness/lack of attachment and indifference… if you are indifferent, it seems difficult to not be pacified and to bother doing things that are good for you, but more challenging. Would you be able to offer some insight on this? Mostly how to motivate yourself without attachment:p

[@DougsDharma]

I think lack of motivation usually stems from something more like depression or boredom. We can be encouraged and energized even by things with which we are not identified. That said, check out this earlier video for a nuance: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIXUmpWCgr5kgq8

[@camillamoen7530]

@@DougsDharma amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I will check out the video you linked:)

[@AbhishekDabhanim]

Does the Madhyamaka concept of sunyata negates the ultimate transcendental reality? I have read that post nagarjuna philosophers actually said only truth is the conventional truth and the ultimate truth is also conventional because purpose of it is to deny the transcendental reality. Like chair existing in a room and chair non existing in a room. There's nothing like non existing chair. That's why they claimed emptiness itself is empty. What do you think? My another question is if this concept developed by madhyamaka can be used to deny even rebirth, god and other supernatural claims from other school of buddhism?

[@DougsDharma]

Well take a look at my videos on the Two Truths. Here is the first one on origins: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p33CpKamf9-Erpo , then there's a second one that discusses a bit about Nāgārjuna.

[@aidanharrison3888]

In the context of shunyata the phrase " Scooby dooby doo where are you ? " Is profound .

[@DougsDharma]

😄

[@uuutuuube3691]

I like the history because it helps me understand where the practice comes from but I'd like more on emptiness philosophy and practice and less on the "study" . However that is the best video of yours I have seen, i wish i could explain why it was so engaging but i cant put my finger on it. Sorry

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks John. I do have a separate video on emptiness practice that should be linked to there in the show notes or somewhere.

[@uuutuuube3691]

@@DougsDharma I will find it

[@uuutuuube3691]

@@DougsDharma Hi Doug, Is there a particular reason why you chose calmer, wiser and kinder? Ie is there teaching on those aspects? I was thinking about it this morning and it seems to me that they are mutually reinforcing if im kinder I will be calmer ( less thinking about me for one thing) if I'm calmer I can make more room to see wisdom and so on. So to contradict a previous e-mail of mine is there particular Buddhist teaching on these? I havent seen 3 anythings yet but I bet there are. Thanks John

[@4imagesmore]

The three characteristics of "reality" - or the three perceptions? I think Thanissaro Bhikkhu describes them thusly? What do you make of this? Thank-you.

[@DougsDharma]

The simple answer is that they can be understood either way. The Buddha doesn't really distinguish these two interpretations, though he does talk about "contact" with forms, sights, sounds, etc., which themselves would have these three characteristics.

[@happylum]

Hi Doug great to see your new videos. I have been a Mahayana practicing Buddhist for 30 years - or so I think:) It was only in 2018 that when I talked to a Theravada Buddhist that I found our the notion of "emptiness" was NEVER present in Theravada! I was shock to hear that because I always assume the concept of emptiness is prevalent among all Buddhist schools. This Theravada Buddhist went on to say the notion of Anata is always present in Theravada and one achieves Anata, one becomes an Arhat. The concept of emptiness, though present in Pali canon, could have been briefly mentioned or discussed by the Buddha. It was indeed further developed in Prajnaparamita sutras. But the Theravadans do not recognize these Mahayana sutras because they evolved only about 600 years after the Buddha's passing. The Tiantai School of China has marked out the different periods of the the Buddha's life that he spent teaching from the four noble truths, twelve dependent originations, prajnaparamita sutras, etc. I do not know how they got their source. DIFFERENT TRANSLATORS - could have translated differently. In the past, I always thought all translators would be have translated all sutras and even tantras the same. But lately, I discovered that assumption is very wrong! I recently, got to read some of the tantras translated into English and I found that there were indeed some minor to major differences. For example, the Chinese version would read 8,000 mantras while the English one reads 1080. Its the exact same tantra and yet translated to differently. I just wonder if its the translators that added their own ideas into it.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes Buddhist history is fascinating happylum! And there are indeed questions and matters of interpretation every time we consider a translation. Sometimes the translators simply make errors, everyone does. One small point though which is that in these videos what I'm discussing is more "early Buddhism" than "Theravāda". Theravāda dhamma is based upon later teachings as well such as the abhidhamma.

[@flyingspaghettimonster2925]

Attributing later texts to Buddha is a classic way to legitimize your work. Likely made up.

[@middlewayers]

Concept of emptiness is present in theravada..i can give you reference

[@purumr]

Emptiness has another side, conceptual emptiness. It is not just empty of self but also empty of concepts in all objects appearing on consciousness. E.g., chariot, rainbow, body parts. Is my understanding correct?

[@DougsDharma]

Well perhaps so, though this is a later interpretation of the concept of emptiness.

[@purumr]

@@DougsDharma thanks for the reply. When you say later interpretation, when was it? Is it during nagarjuna's time or 8th century Mahayana tradition or nyingma/mahamutra sub school time or 13th century Soto Zen time or new age 1970's time? Sorry if I'm being specific. I am just curious because recognition of conceptual emptiness really helped me in my spiritual path.

[@SuperYouthful]

Oh yeah... ms. Buddha... I will DEFINITELY modify this...

[@counterculture10]

Hi Doug, Quick question: I've heard nirvana and emptiness described as "non-existence." Is this the case? Thanks

[@DougsDharma]

I think that would be a misunderstanding.

[@counterculture10]

@@DougsDharma I agree

[@mawi7644]

Can I ask. Does experiencing the "emptiness" just come to you or something that is practiced in meditation?

[@DougsDharma]

I think it depends on the person and the context. This video is about a meditation on emptiness, so the experience here will be gained through meditative practice.

[@alakso777]

🙏🏼

[@FasTeaa]

Mr.Doug, we must never keep the statue of Lord Buddha below its traditionally kept in a special shrine above human Tallness. Sorry if rude

[@unknowngaming3256]

I am confused can you help? Can you use something like a example please

[@DougsDharma]

An example of what?

[@unknowngaming3256]

@@DougsDharma I don’t really understand nothingness like what it means

[@DougsDharma]

@@unknowngaming3256 Check out the accompanying video on early practice with emptiness. It contains meditation examples: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOrlKSLo7x1osU

[@georgekuttygeorge8247]

Indescribable nature of Reality to me is a more convincing explanation for emptiness...I have heard that Buddha himself said that one should not cling to the idea of emptiness as an absolute argument.

[@DougsDharma]

Do you have a reference for that statement of the Buddha?

[@georgekuttygeorge8247]

@@DougsDharma Thomas J McFarlance - Meaning of Shunyata as per Nagarjuna

[@georgekuttygeorge8247]

@@DougsDharma Prsannapada on Karika 13.8.. I think commentry on Mool Madhyamika Karika

[@georgekuttygeorge8247]

@@DougsDharma kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3jcgYKMiLuVnpYsi=KNyT7GQFt2lqbMpa

[@comentario-ur8rd]

According to Adyashanti, the emptiness of Buddhism is more similar to our concept of spirit than to our concept of nothingness

[@imnotbilly8480]

At 5:34 what you're describing is advaita vedanta. Change out the words Brahman and atman With the word energy and you have exactly what quantum physicists are saying about the universe today.

[@VBL16]

shunyata is not 1 advaita is not 2 in brahman there is still I ,shunyata is beyond brahman

[@imnotbilly8480]

Well actually they're both just opinions from ordinary people like you and me so both of them could be wrong and probably are wrong.

[@christalhat9606]

Is it true that some schools of Buddhism (like Dzogchen) consider perceived reality literally unreal like a dream ? Maybe I am an ignorant lay person but it sounds rather depressing because supporting and loving people then makes no more sense if they are actually not existing.

[@DougsDharma]

There is some discussion of reality being like a dream in various schools of Buddhism. Exactly how seriously we are to take such claims depends on the case, it’s hard to generalize and different people will interpret that differently.

[@sawtoothiandi]

Why not choose to love and support people in your dream?

[@winniekhongkp]

Christmas Hat ... u need to investigate further.

[@winniekhongkp]

Sorry ... speller auto correct .. It shld b Christal Hat

[@radekkubica6089]

Christal hat I have the same impression like u mate.

[@Fukiran7]

All phenomena is void of an intrinsic personal self because the world is interdependent and coexistencening

[@DougsDharma]

Well yes, that's one way to look at it.

[@rodgerricketts3353]

Sorry but Emptiness is not a notion that The Buddha came up with as an abstract construction. It is clear in his teachings that his knowledge of Emptiness was based on his experience of Awakening. As I wrote in my books...'We know that the Buddha’s Awakening was a life-altering experience which gave him a radically new perspective. Awakening, or pure experience, unveiled for the Buddha the cognitively-based, dependent, complementary relationship of the subject-object world. In other words, his enlightened mind became free of the dichotomy of subject and object. This was a crucial distinction between mind and mind events. ‘Mind’ is understood as a direct awareness without any conceptualization, while mind events arise immediately when they become identified with an object. So, although there is a mind at pure experience that exists without mental events, we don’t normally experience this. It was through this experience of emptiness that the Buddha confirmed that meditation allowed him to experience non-substantial wholeness. The Buddha had the experience of freedom which provided a superior criterion of certainty rooted in actual experiential knowledge. The obstacle of mental constructions, ignorance, and its accompanying egotistical, driven self, was removed'....Best wishes...

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for that, Roger. FWIW I did an earlier video on non-dualism in early Buddhism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amTZZ5-CrMqoock

[@mcgee227]

A completely moot point. It all came from the same place, it is all concepts. Therefore empty

[@sdnnir4723]

Hello doug, i have a trouble with the concept of the emptiness on what does it really mean. Because buddha did always about non self or anatta. That means there are nothing to cling and grab in world or everything doesnt mean the term 'mine' probably the five aggregates. That is to make the viwe of people right or right viwe. The right viwe is the one that tend to stop the three sin roots and every sins associated with it. For ex. Main reasons for make person a liar is thier particular needs based on ignorance or can be the enjoyment based on particular desires. So right viwe take the person away from these as the main sin root ignorance that make wrong viwe is stoped . There are suthras of these informations. But i realy have a trouble with how emptiness connect with that as it end up from its definition 'emty'.

[@DougsDharma]

Well "empty" can be thought of as "empty of a self or anything belonging to a self". In the way you put it, that would mean "empty of anything to cling and grab".

[@sdnnir4723]

@@DougsDharma Ok thanks. But one thing which i see is that emptiness is based on things that we see and non self is based on what we do.

[@user-Void-Star]

@@sdnnir4723 it takes time think more and read many books on Sunyata. You will understand later. It takes time so don't get frustrated lol

[@FromPlanetZX]

Nagarjuna copied Neti-Neti concept for describing Brahm from Vedas and popularised sunyavad(emptiness/void/no-thing) concept by codifying it. However Ashvagosh had already mentioned it in earlier Buddhist text.

[@acatssoftnose3940]

So emptiness is the middle way between saying something exists and that nothing exists?

[@DougsDharma]

Well sort of, yes. The Buddha said it was a middle way between eternalism and nihilism. Eternalism is sort of the idea that everything exists forever in some fixed way, and nihilism is that nothing exists.

[@Graviton-cc9bn]

Well, shunyata in sanskrit should mean zeroness or nothingness, why is it called as emptiness?

[@DougsDharma]

It doesn't really mean nothingness since that would imply the Buddha was arguing for nihilism. Instead the Buddha argues that śūnyatā is a middle way between eternalism and nihilism, through dependent origination. So a different word is needed. "Emptiness" implies "empty of (an eternal) self".

[@benjaminben2392]

Ps Consciousness

[@DougsDharma]

Consciousness is a way to understand emptiness in the Yogācāra tradition, yes.

[@nsbd90now]

Kind of funny trying to talk about parts of the human experience of reality that are ineffable. In some ways it seems to me a both/and situation with "fullness 'n emptiness" depending on how you approach the issues. Also, definitely a difficult process for someone raised in the Abrahamic Traditions to realize that nsbd90now does not continue past death... i.e. there is no "soul"... but is just another form of energy-matter that rises up from "The Unified Field" (a terrific, pertinent song by IAM{X} check it out!) and then dissolves back into it. And yet... eventually that then becomes a kind of odd wide-open vista... "I" am aware of nsbd90now as an object among all the others of which "I" am currently aware. But of course, that "I" isn't really any thing, is it? And while it isn't nsbd90now, it does seem like "me". Maybe. 😀 I've heard you mention in vids that you don't have a "literal" sense of reincarnation which hits me at this point as "yeah, of course". Seems more like a metaphor for how rare it is to achieve existential success and be an arahat, and how much work and practice it takes for most people. (Or, at least how much it's taking me! lol!) Another aspect of all this seems like it has to do with how we experience time as a flow. Today, we know that is an illusion, not the reality, but is the reality of our experience of reality. That makes the universe kind of like a set, static object that isn't actually changing other than from our perspective. Anyway, these are among my favorite topics and I sure do appreciate your videos on them!

[@DougsDharma]

Happy to oblige! 😊

[@NewEarth25]

Interesting ...Emptiness described as Fullness (Brahman) in Brhadaryanka Upanishad. No discourse in emptiness; in chinese emptiness added as 4th after 3 marks of existence. In Pali sunnyata Imho is the direct Realization/supramundane experience of Non-Self as fruit of stages of awakening.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Susmita. I'd say following Bhikkhu Bodhi that emptiness was the Buddha's rejection of the "fullness" doctrine of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka; they aren't the same thing, but opposites. And there are two major discourses on emptiness in Pāli.

[@JayaDevaMusic]

Heat and Cold are opposites but as well both of them are temperature. Hatred and love are opposites but both of them are emotions. Black and White are opposite colours but both are just colours. And we can continue going on with all kind of opposites. So easily Poornam and Emptiness are seemingly opposites but both of them are concepts or visions of the same reality or existence. So .. there is not a big problem at all with this two. It's just the mind trying to grasp reality, existence. We could say existence, reality is full, and empty, and it's hot, and cold, and black and white and its love and hate, all of them are qualities of existence. There is place for all of them.

[@Paramasaugata]

@@JayaDevaMusic sir if i ask you..... What if i say Emotions are empty of independent existence.... This means there is nothing like love and hatred existed without emotion, but here emotions are too empty, empty of independent existence .....। Even emptiness is empty sir....so How can you say both shunyam and purnam are same thing..... It could be sad so if we just stop at emptiness, but we do not stop at emptiness we take one more step that emptiness is even itself empty of Emptiness 🙏🙏🙏

[@JayaDevaMusic]

@@Paramasaugata close your eyes.. feel emptiness.. now feel poornam... everything that you see.. that you know.. that you can gasp of this reality is trough your perception, senses, and mind. You can perceive emptiness cos you are empty, you can perceive fullness cos you are Poornam. The infinite is dwelling, boundless, unattached, empty, full, its beyond gunas, understanding. So it can have all the qualities and none. it doesnt matter.. its just the mind trying to grasp. Name it silence. Name it love. Consciousness. All the saints try to describe it, so ones see it as empty, and it's true and others as fullness and its also true. Its the perception of the infinite.

[@Paramasaugata]

@@JayaDevaMusic Sir......Emptiness even itself becomes Svabhava.....that means Svabhava of being empty and so the Fullness is also Svabhava..... Svabhava of Being full Sir here you are still holding, emptiness and fullness, because you are still holding svabhava.... Svabhava of Being empty and Being Full Swabhava means essence.... Essence of being full or being empty.... Here im saying that emptiness is empty of Essence...... Which means it is empty of emptiness and fullness both. Emptiness is empty of emptiness, it holds no essence neither emptiness nor fullness. However you are holding Fullness, and thinking that we too are holding emptiness. We don't say emptiness is every thing, and it is absolutely full and it is the ultimate emptiness is like a medicine given to a patient who has fall under prapancha. so Sir even this Emptiness is empty of Emptiness and fullness In this way these teachings are not same... You are not understanding sir, because you are wearing glasses of Advait Vedant. you have not understood emptiness, you are taking it as something which is absolute.....❌️ emptiness is not absolute, it is like medicine given to break all views, but people hold this Emptiness as absolute and full, so it becomes like a medicine which doesnt come out of stomach and makes the patient ill.

[@sharanagato]

The sloka is not from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, It is from Isha-vashya Upanishad.

[@DougsDharma]

It’s Brhadaranyaka 5.1.1.

[@rajivbaisoya4292]

Hindu says soul is permanent and look inside all is inner self. disagree with both as never got anywhere with it so far, no help. bhudha was great psychologist, understood falacy, great detail on frugality of human mind. but aloofness of monastery is sad from family life. bhudhism was tough for early hindus to convert, less than Jainism. liked empty ness concept.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes the monastic life is very rigorous and not very popular as a result. I think nowadays there are more "middle ground" practices that encompass the lay life but include some monastic practices such as meditation that can be very useful. Hopefully it will make a difference.

[@shinjokagama7521]

Your take on what emptiness means is interesting but it does not really help to understand what Buddha meant by 'emptiness is form and form is emptiness'. Buddha was an incredibly sharp dude with amazing skill in putting ideas into word. If he wanted to say empty our minds of negative thoughts etc he surely would not have used such perplexing phrases. May be he is saying something way deeper than what we are able to comprehend now. We have to explain the equation emptiness=form by not approaching it only from the religious angle. Buddha was not a self righteous i am the saver kind of religious nut. He was a very rational person and his teachings are based on reason and logic.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for the comment Shinjo. In the video I'm discussing emptiness in early Buddhism in particular. The phrase you cite is from the Heart Sutra which is quite a late text, from the early centuries of the Common Era. So the ideas cited in it are different from what one finds in those early texts.

[@generalu.gooshe]

Salam Alekhum. Who sweeps the streets in Wellington when we got Polynesians out? Because I am not doing it. Make it make sense to me, then you speak to me. Cool??

[@Pantoffla]

Nagarjuna contributed to the biggest messy dizzinesse of emptiness. He got it all wrong and contributed to devilompent of min buddhist buddhism

[@Pantoffla]

Right wiew...

[@DougsDharma]

Well it all depends on how Nāgārjuna is interpreted, and his writings are notoriously difficult to interpret.

[@Pantoffla]

@@DougsDharma We whill never know. Butt we can learn from the results off hes learnings...

[@shivendias9602]

Do you think that the concept or emptiness is the same as the Hindu concept of Brahman. Because in some ways they are both talking about the same thing. If you were to have a cup with nothing in it, you could call it empty or full. The Buddhists say it’s empty but the Hindus say it’s full. Do you think these are the same things?

[@DougsDharma]

Well there are certainly similarities there, though it would sound offhand as though these are sort of opposites.

[@shivendias9602]

@@DougsDharma I have heard of the Ananda sutta where the Buddha is asked by a Brahmin whether there is a self or whether there is no self. The Buddha doesn't reply. He is then asked by Ananda why he didn't answer, and the Buddha said that there is neither a self nor no self. Instead their is a middle way between externalism and nihilism. Advaita Vedanta, the concept of Brahman also takes the middle way by saying that there is no eternal individual self. This school of philosophy agrees with the Buddha in saying that all concepts of individuality are false. Instead their is an Atma, however, it is impersonal and our individual consciousness is the same as the cosmic consciousness. Do you think it is the same as the Buddhist concept of Shunyata which says that all beings arose from the void, where the void is = to Brahman?

[@kaustubhnigam628]

@@shivendias9602 good question dude I have this same doubt But if we are from void , then is the void from us ??? Because it is also arising dependely and not independently

[@phraalanjames6184]

THE BUDDHA NEVER SPOKE PALI. He probably spoke Magadhi (Magadhi Prakrit) and other local dialects. Pāli seems closely related to the Old Indo-Aryan Vedic and Sanskrit dialects; but is apparently not directly descended from either of these. Pāli in Sanskrit means 'a line, row, or series' and by extension 'sentence or text'. Hardly any Pali manuscripts are more than about 500 years old - with the vast majority being less than 300 years old. Thus it was a textual language used to preserve the teachings of the Buddha: NOT A SPOKEN ONE. In fact the earliest archaeological evidence of the existence of Pali is not on palm-leaf and not even to be found in India, but comes from Sri Ksetra, one of the Pyu city-states, of Burma/Myanmar. Buddhist literature begins with the oral instruction given by the Buddha himself to his immediate disciples. And even during his lifetime these teaching were being committed to memory & recited. Just how the language we call Pali originated we do not know - the physical evidence is scant, and the linguistic analysis is inconclusive. It appears to be an admixture of several dialects and effected by sanskritisation over time. The texts into which the Buddha's words came to be formalised were preserved orally by monks and nuns over many generations. It is also evident that just as there is a gap in time of nearly 400 years between the death of the Buddha and the writing down of the Pali Canon; and there is also a distance of some 1,500 miles between the area in which the Buddha lived & preached and where the Pali texts were eventually written down in central Sri Lanka; that it was during this much later time that the Pali language evolved.

[@DougsDharma]

Yes thanks Alan. I’d simply respond that one of the leading experts on Pāli, Richard Gombrich, has argued in his most recent book “Buddhism and Pāli” that the Buddha spoke Pāli or at any rate some language very, very close to it. This is a controversial claim to be sure but it at least opens the door to the possibility among scholars.

[@phraalanjames6184]

Thanks for your reply Doug. Just a point that I think worth noting is that the importance of recording the Buddha's teachings in a textual language - rather than a spoken one - is that words in spoken languages have a tendency to change their meanings over time. One example I often use is the word 'gay'. As a child this word meant 'happy' (as in Wordsworth's poem 'Daffodils' where he wrote, "A poet could not but be gay in such a jocund company"). However, whereas in my childhood days I may have described my mood as 'gay', I would certainly never do so today given its radical shift of meaning. And, as Wittgenstein famously remarked, "The meaning of a word is its use." With a textual language like Pali the meanings of words remain - to all intents and purposes - static; precisely because they are not exposed to conversational usage. That aside, I want to congratulate you on presenting an impressive and enjoyable set of videos. You are doing an excellent job and are making a valuable contribution to the spread of the Buddha's Dhamma. Thank you and bless you Doug!

[@anjalib2210]

Sir it's Buddha Dhamma it's not Buddha Dharma There were many Buddha Stupa/Vihara/monasteries in India which have been converted into Temples🙁

[@DougsDharma]

Yes dhamma is the Pāli term, but since dharma is already in English it works better and is less confusing. It's the same word anyway.

[@kaustubhnigam628]

Both are same Buddha dharma = Buddha dhamma And btw , I have something to ask you on emptiness and dependent arising if you know about it ....

[@kaustubhnigam628]

I wonder if you even know anything about it ...

[@kbgirel6965]

I prefer Dhamma

[@Sunshine-gi6ev]

Around 21:40 mts. of the video, you state that Nirvana is identified with a kind of emptiness or in other words, Nirvana could be defined as a kind of emptiness; this is fallacious because, except Arhants, nobody knows or understands Nirvana. It's a bad comparison, metaphor, simile or whatever you call it as. Anyhow, to me, Mahayana & Vajrayana are distorted or corrupted version of Buddhism because many brahmanic doctrine & ideology has been incorporated in their Abhidhamma Pitaka.

[@preciousreading1934]

Your thinking of 'Brihadaranyaka Upanishad' to have been around or written before Buddha is only correct, if this is found written in Dhamma script in pali. In fact from the page sample that can be seen in the Wikipedia is not even written on palm leaf but on paper and in 'debanaagari script'. This script and sanskrit was not fully developed and made in full use of it not before the 7th century. Get your research matured before false information getting propagated. It is in fact 'Brihadaranyaka Upanishad' was adopted from Buddhism very lately.

[@sugarfree1894]

Don't look at it too hard, it will disappear :)

[@DougsDharma]

😄

[@ricksanchez4045]

Upnishada were never older than they thought to be, upanishad and puranas were made in Mughal era and before then. Before Buddhism there was shramana not hindus Brahmins. Buddha did not plagiarised anything from Brahmins(no Brahmins existed till 7 to 8th CE). Brahmins are the one who plagiarised vajryana and mahayan sects.

[@stephenhoward2245]

Wrong